On the contents page of Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community by Pegi Eyers, we find two subheadings: Stolen Treasure and Authentic Treasure. But this book is in itself a treasure! With a great amount of research, detail, vision, passion and compassion, Pegi Eyers invites the reader on a quest to unravel and heal the harms that the colonization of indigenous peoples by white Europeans has caused. She addresses those of European “white” ancestral background, those who by virtue of their birth have inherited the spectrum of privileges from dominant Western colonizing culture, and while her focus remains on the people of Turtle Island the reality of colonial invasion, theft, possession and appropriation rings true for the experience of Indigenous peoples worldwide. And that makes this book relevant to us all.

No “stone” remains unturned in this exploration of the why, what and how regarding colonial attitudes, racism and spiritual appropriation manifest in our time. A very important and relevant subject that is discussed, particularly given that this book is at the root a book about re-membering and re-weaving ancestral indigenous knowledge and eco-spiritual practice, is the critique of New Age spiritual philosophies and practices, both esoteric and consumerist. Offering different perspectives on ideas proliferating in the contemporary alternative spirituality marketplace is a way of challenge, refinement, and of course, a call to integrity.

Ancient Spirit Rising is packed with excellent and pertinent quotes, and a sturdy bibliography of resources and sources consulted. With sub-sections covering cultural appropriation, racism, white privilege, unpacking the New Age, and indigenous mind - just to give an idea of the comprehensive resource list - there is ample guidance for where to go, once your mind, heart and spirit have been stimulated to query, critique and explore the path ahead. This path calls those of us of European ancestry to return to our own indigenous roots, and restore meaning in our own lives and communities, as well as decolonizing our minds and bodies while working to create healthy co-existence with the First Nations with whom we share our environments. I will be returning to this book again and again for personal need, and in the community and spiritual work I engage in, as a writer and artist. In my mind, Ancient Spirit Rising is a call to action, and a beacon of hope!